The event industry´s foundation, Meeting Needs, will co-fund the installation of solar power at a school in Limbe, Malawi, with a grant of £4500.

The gift will immediately benefit 500 vulnerable schoolchildren, 98 per cent of whom are orphans, as well as providing improved educational facilities for 30 teachers. Over 10,000 vulnerable school children will benefit over the 25-year life of the solar panels at the Jacaranda School for Orphans.

Meeting Needs is working with Jacaranda UK Foundation, a charity based in Suffolk which provides education for Malawian children. Jacaranda has already sourced and funded the panels and funding is now needed to buy the batteries, inverters, cables and for installation of the solar panels throughout the school. This includes eight classrooms, the health clinic, an IT room, hall, music room, sewing room, art room and security lights. The project is expected to take three months to complete.

Electricity security and dependability is a huge issue in Malawi. Any building that is connected to the national grid is subjected to frequent blackouts and load shedding due to Malawi’s poor infrastructure and lack of investment in the electrical grid. Despite the primary school having access to electricity, lessons often take place in poor light, compromising the quality of the education the students receive.

Without dependable electric lights, students are unable to come in for after-school examinations, activities/clubs or further tutoring, and teachers are forced to use alternative and often dangerous light sources when marking after dark. Many lessons take place in rooms with small windows that require electric lighting, and sometimes after dark, so dependable electric light is critical. The school hosts national exams and evening literacy classes for local adults from the community, both of which require dependable energy supplies.

The school spends £3,050 a year on electricity. Solar power will significantly reduce energy costs for the school, allowing more resources to be allocated towards other educational needs such as uniforms or books. It will also introduce the possibility of selling excess energy back to the grid, thus producing income for the school that can be spent on other essential educational items.

  • To learn how you can work with Meeting Needs, please contact Margaret Mann at mmann@meetingneeds.org.uk